DON’T WAIT ALONE
With this first week of Advent under our belt, I am brought back to the beauty of our Discovering Christ series this past September and October; especially the retreat we had on October 21st. One thing that the Lord put on my heart during that retreat was the peace of mind that comes from knowing that God does not leave us to walk this life of faith by ourselves. He doesn’t leave us in loneliness as we follow after Him. I quoted a line from the Testament of St. Francis of Assisi. He talks about how the Lord called him to a specific way of life, and that he was happy to live this new way of life all by himself, but the Lord had different plans. St. Francis beautifully says, ‘And then the Lord gave me brothers.’ What a gift it is that the Lord gives us people around us to walk with us and take on this journey of faith with us.
As we enter this second week of Advent, I am reminded of this sentiment. It’s so easy for us to skip Advent and go straight to thinking of Christmas. Of course, there is nothing wrong with joyfully expecting Christmas, but we want to make sure that we’re not overlooking the beauty and purpose of Advent. This is a time to eagerly await that joy of Christmas morning. There is a sort of angst in this time of waiting, which can be uncomfortable, but that is where the Lord meets us. It’s ok to sit in this time of expectation and be restless in expectation of Christmas. At our first Discovering Christ session, we heard Jesus’ first words in Matthew’s Gospel, ‘Let it be like this for now.’ Are we having trouble waiting for Christmas? That’s ok. Let it be like this for now. If you’re having trouble staying in Advent, fear not! There are opportunities coming up for you to experience the beauty of Advent with those around you. We have three events coming up in the next week that I hope will aid you along the way.
On December 9th, you are welcome to join our Discovering Catholicism group at St. Clement from 7-9PM for an ask-me-anything style Q&A session. If there are questions you’ve always wanted to ask priests, this is for you! Reach out to me to submit any questions you have!
The following day, December 10th, we will have our second Parish Night in Kolbe Hall, 6:30-8:30PM. Join us for the 6PM Mass at Holy Cross beforehand. After Mass, we will head to Kolbe Hall for some time of fellowship, formation, and discussion. There will not be a dinner at this session, but please feel free to bring a snack/dessert to share!
Lastly, please join us for an Advent Retreat on December 13th from 9-Noon at St. Hedwig. This will be a retreat for both men and women of the parish. We will all be together for an optional Mass at 8:30AM, but we will then separate for brunch/refreshments, the talk, and the time of discussion. We will then come back together at 11AM for a Holy Hour, with Confession available, to close our morning retreat. Please RSVP to me by Thursday, December 11th, so we can have accurate numbers for hospitality.
Don’t go through Advent alone. Don’t wait for Christmas alone. Come to one or all of these events and join your brothers and sisters in this time of waiting.
Peace and Good,
Grant O’Neil